First big test for the new owners. Please don’t let us down 
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I do wonder how much DJ enjoys playing for us. Obviously, he’s notched a fair few goals and his all-round contribution is pretty decent. Whenever I watch him though he always looks extremely pissed off, no doubt frustrated at the lack of service. The last couple of weeks we’ve turned the corner a little, but I still get the feeling he isn’t exactly delighted that he’s here.
Have noticed this myself but like to think it’s because he just wants to do well…
After the match on saturday he seemed all smiles. I have a feeling that so long as he’s scoring goals he’s happy.
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There’s no bigger sulker than Wilkinson.
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It’s all very well saying trivela must show ambition and match other offers but the truth is that, if he’s still scoring a lot of goals by xmas, a league one team or the likes of salford will be offering him £5k-£6k per week, something we simply can’t due, both because of finances and also team wage structure.
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I understand what you’re saying Shrops but that is the point people are trying to make , Trivela need to change the ’ normal ’ Walsall way of doing business and make our club one that top players want to be associated with , so finances will have to be increased to compete.
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Im not sure L1 clubs will be falling over themselves as he is unproven at that level and is nearly 30… Maybe one struggling at the wrong end, but surely that wouldn’t be a step up as he could be back down here next season. Also, is a struggling L1 likely to give out a long term contract on big money?
The owners of the club have set the expectation. They have said that we shouldn’t be in this division. We won’t get out of it unless we compete with others in our league. Having a regular goal scorer gives us a much better chance. If we can’t compete with others in our own league then the owners need to be honest with the fans, and wind down the hype about ambition.
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I agree with the last part but the truth is that we almost certainly can’t compete with Salford, and one or two others, in terms of paying our players considerably more than we are currently doing.
As for the rest, it depends on whether Johnson wants playing success or financial succes. If the former, maybe he won’t be interested in lower league one clubs but, if the latter, I have no doubt that a lower league one club can and will offer more than we are able to and, if they see Johnson as their hope in climbing the table, may well be prepared to offer a longer term contract.
But you can’t do that unilaterally, with just one player. Imagine if you’re Daniels or Monthe or Wilkinson etc, one of the highest paid players at the club, and then suddenly you find out that one of the squad is on double your wages. That doesn’t work for team cohesion. You suddenly have a lot of disgruntled players and, potentially, resentment towards the high earner. If Trivela are to change our wage structure, it will need to be done over time and in a controlled manner - which I think is what they have suggested?
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I don’t think there is anything wrong with your top goalscorer being on more money than the rest of the team.
I don’t know if it is true but it is already reported that Wilkinson is on around 3.5k a week. That kind of money could be enough to tempt Johnson. I get your point about wage structure and upsetting the applecart but it is expected that forwards earn more than defenders for example and someone who has scored more goals already than our top scorer last season can command top wages.
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You may not think that there’s anything wrong with that, but, as I say, what would Daniels or Monthe think, when it is they who are turning in excellent performances and stopping the opposition scoring goals, such that Johnson can be the “matchwinner”?
Do you really think Johnson will be offered a maximum of £3.5k if he’s hit 15 goals by the new year? I’d suggest both Salford and Wrexham will be in offering at least £1.5k more than that, possibly even more.
Hey, I’m with you on wanting us to do what we can to secure his services, but I’m also trying to look at it realistically, from the club’s point of view and in a wider context, such that I won’t be completely disappointed and dispirited when he does go elsewhere.
By the way, in answer to those questioning how happy he is and how he looks disatisfied during games, I read nothing into this. I think it’s his nature. it could also, perhaps, explain some of the falling out at Mansfied. When things are going well, as a team, the rest will acommodate his “attitude” because they see what he brings to the team. When things aren’t going so well and fingers are being pointed, as was probably happening at Mansfield at the time, I can see how things could get tetchy.
I just think it is generally accepted that goalscorers earn more money than everyone else at all levels of the game.
If we start talking 5k a week then yes it may be out of our price range. I want us to have a real good go at getting him at least, not just the token efforts we have made in the past.
We should already be looking for decent alternatives as a back up plan. We can’t just go on doing what we have done in the past and replace him with a young loan player or someone who once had a good season many years ago but has scored about 5 goals in the last 8 years.
I don’t think we will get Johnson either if I am being realistic. My lad is always singing the Danny Johnson song and then he will be off. It wasn’t like that when I started going. Sure we’d sell our better players eventually but you had a real connection with them, Having a new team every year or two does nothing for encouraging the kids to keep going. That’s the modern game I guess.
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I agree with every word you’ve written.
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It’s an assumption that Salford / Wrexham aren’t happy with the strikers they already have. They might be looking to strengthen elsewhere.
With possession being 9/10ths and all that, we are surely in a strong position, providing that we are challenging for a playoff place at worst and are prepared to be competitive.
I would also agree with the pay differential. It happens in many organisations, not just football. As long as he is scoring goals, the other players will accept it, and if his goals are winning games then they also benefit financially.
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Again, I agree with what you say. But, with respect to your final paragraph, see above for what I suggest might be reason why he and Mansfield fell out.
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Maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but I do think that there is every possibility, providing we still have a fighting chance of promotion come January. Boycott and his pals have the resources, should they want to make it happen. Not sure we have been in such a position for some time.
On another note, I think the loan system is a little broken now. It may be okay for Premier League clubs but I don’t think it works well at our level.
Being able to bring a loan in during the season was very beneficial for clubs like us who can’t afford huge squads. We made good use of the loan system before the March deadline many times. Don Goodman anyone! He is just one example.
I’m not a fan of the 6 month loan thing, or even a season long loan, I’m not sure that is how the system was designed to be used. I think some clubs in Europe do 2 year loans? What is that all about?
It is what it is and we have to get on with it but I think it could do with a little tweaking for the lower leagues.
You may well be right mate. I think there have been so many false dawns at Walsall it is hard not to expect the worst case scenarios.
I mean I don’t expect us to threaten the top 7 in all honesty after the initial buzz of winning the first two games and being seconds away from winning the first 3. Even after 2 wins on the bounce I’m not convinced. We’ve been fairly poor away from home even since Flynn took over, and after such a poor run there is a lot of catching up to do. Another run half as bad as the one we just came out of and it is pretty much game over.
Tomorrow is a big test, if we can come away with something from there and go and win at Sutton I may start to believe a little more.
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We originally had a deal agreed to sign him until Radford moved the goalposts. It makes you wonder what we had offered him per week in the summer for him to accept our offer.